You may earn a maximum of 3 points toward your final grade by doing the above and answering the questions and submitting them on time (no later than Friday, September 1). Any worksheets submitted after the deadline will get a 0. You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play opens in a backyard of three houses, one of which appears to be new and much prettier, while the other two are a bit drab. It's a sea-side city in South Carolina in 1918 during the summer. The characters are a group of black women who happen to be neighbors, their names are as follows: Julia, Fanny, Mattie, and Lula. The characters find themselves interrupted by the the child of Mattie, Teeta, crying over a lost quarter and her mother pursuing her with a switch. Thus beginning the play, and setting the scenes into motion.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
The intrusion occurs when Mr.Herman collapses from the Spanish influenza, this causes the women to call for his family which sets off a whole set of dramatic events. His collapse inadvertently causes his mother to be summoned, and the fight between her and Julia to ensure. This causes Julia to reevaluate her relationship with Herman which causes many other events to take place.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The conditions that cause this play to even exist are reliant upon this time and place, as the ideals on both marriage and race varied wildly, and the rapid expanse of the Spanish influenza ultimately drives the play forward. 1918 saw a very different, yet similar racial environment as the 1960s, blacks and whites weren't allowed to marry in many states, and those who've divorced were not able to remarry. This also brought about the prevalence of the Spanish Flu which lead to Herman's untimely and unfortunate death.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will the relationship between Julia and Herman be united by law?
Will their relationship be discovered and ruined?
Will Herman recover from the disease?
Will Julia and Herman make it to New York?
Will Herman survive the sickness?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
In Wedding Band not only does Julia struggle with society, and another, she also struggles with herself. Julia desires more than anything to be wed to Herman, however society during this time deemed Julia and Herman's pairing not only as unlawful, but sinful. Herman's family also deemed the relationship as bad, in fact worse than death so as a result Julia struggled justifying the love to his family. Towards the middle of the play Julia begins to question their convictions in the play, she struggles with her own identity asking herself if this relationship makes her less black, or somehow a second class citizen.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band.
The conflict between Teeta and her mother in the opening scene introduces the characters and their personalities. The collapse of Herman, as well as the fight between Julia and his mother are quite extreme theatrical moments that grab the attention of the audience. The final scene also established the fate of Herman and Julia as a couple, and is quite a powerful theatrical and emotionally charged moment.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The letter in the play that Julia read expanded on the values she holds, as she didn't charge her anything even after being insulted by her. The wedding band given to Julia in the play perhaps hints to Herman's impending doom, the fact that it hung around the neck and not on the finger was a image of the longing for matrimony but, never to achieve it. The image of Julia's house being the nicest one in the backyard, perhaps offers insight into her moral standing compared to the times she lived in. Her inner and outer beauty was reflected in the pretty, yet rugged exterior of the house. The title "Wedding Band" places a great deal of significance on the idea of marriage, and perhaps the use of band in place of ring is to make the actual sound resemble what they felt...Wedding BANd..they were banned from marriage, never to obtain it.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
Wedding band deals with numerous themes, it deals with loneliness and isolation though the struggle of Julia to find friends when she is constantly moving, at one point she says " any kind-a people better than none a-tall". The theme of human rights is quite prevalent within Wedding Band , treatment of blacks and interracial couples during this time.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
Family is a very important part of this play, Herman's family is one of the main obstacles for Julia to overcome. Their disapproval of Julia, produces much conflict for the characters. Julia also discovers a sense of family through the small community found in the backyard, they tell each other secrets most people do not tell, and they do things for one another that is nice and often without benefit for one of the parties involved.
You will be rewarded a maximum of 3 points if I judge your work to be above average. You will receive 2 points if your work is average, that is it may have a few minor mistakes in some of the answers but demonstrates correct grammar and indicates that some, but not all, of the answers, are acceptable and well expressed. You will earn only 1 point if you simply answered the questions and/or if you use poor grammar and if there are signs that you have not read the material on which your answers are based.
1. In the space below, describe the stasis at the beginning of Wedding Band. In other words, “Where are we?” “When is it (time, day, and year)?” “Who are the people involved?” “What is the dramatic situation in which the characters find themselves as the play unfolds?”
The play opens in a backyard of three houses, one of which appears to be new and much prettier, while the other two are a bit drab. It's a sea-side city in South Carolina in 1918 during the summer. The characters are a group of black women who happen to be neighbors, their names are as follows: Julia, Fanny, Mattie, and Lula. The characters find themselves interrupted by the the child of Mattie, Teeta, crying over a lost quarter and her mother pursuing her with a switch. Thus beginning the play, and setting the scenes into motion.
2. What is the intrusion that causes the stasis to be broken and the dramatic action to develop, often at an increasingly rapid pace, to the end of the play? NOTE: Arguments might be made for several different points where stasis is broken. Be prepared to defend your point of view, if different from other students.
The intrusion occurs when Mr.Herman collapses from the Spanish influenza, this causes the women to call for his family which sets off a whole set of dramatic events. His collapse inadvertently causes his mother to be summoned, and the fight between her and Julia to ensure. This causes Julia to reevaluate her relationship with Herman which causes many other events to take place.
3. Why do the events of the play take place at this particular time and place? In other words, what is the unique factor which is out of the ordinary that causes a turn of events to take place?
The conditions that cause this play to even exist are reliant upon this time and place, as the ideals on both marriage and race varied wildly, and the rapid expanse of the Spanish influenza ultimately drives the play forward. 1918 saw a very different, yet similar racial environment as the 1960s, blacks and whites weren't allowed to marry in many states, and those who've divorced were not able to remarry. This also brought about the prevalence of the Spanish Flu which lead to Herman's untimely and unfortunate death.
4. State the dramatic questions that must be answered by the end of the play? (Ordinarily, the dramatic question shares a close connection with the intrusion.)
Will the relationship between Julia and Herman be united by law?
Will their relationship be discovered and ruined?
Will Herman recover from the disease?
Will Julia and Herman make it to New York?
Will Herman survive the sickness?
5. Use Julia to answer the questions concerning character. Ball says, a character is revealed by what he/she does, that is the dramatic actions that are taken by that character. Examine what the character wants (NOTE: In Wedding Band the wants of Julia are in flux. They change as the play progresses). The wants of a character often encounter obstacles that get in the way of achieving those wants. Ball says there are 4 kinds of obstacles that frustrate the wants of a character. They are: a. Me against myself, b. Me against another individual or individuals, c. Me against society (that is law, social norms, etc.) and, d. Me against fate, the universe, natural forces, God or the gods. In answering these questions be sure to point to the particular obstacles that demonstrate these obstacles in the play.
In Wedding Band not only does Julia struggle with society, and another, she also struggles with herself. Julia desires more than anything to be wed to Herman, however society during this time deemed Julia and Herman's pairing not only as unlawful, but sinful. Herman's family also deemed the relationship as bad, in fact worse than death so as a result Julia struggled justifying the love to his family. Towards the middle of the play Julia begins to question their convictions in the play, she struggles with her own identity asking herself if this relationship makes her less black, or somehow a second class citizen.
6. The most important information in most plays takes place during theatrical moments. Identify the most theatrical moments in Wedding Band.
The conflict between Teeta and her mother in the opening scene introduces the characters and their personalities. The collapse of Herman, as well as the fight between Julia and his mother are quite extreme theatrical moments that grab the attention of the audience. The final scene also established the fate of Herman and Julia as a couple, and is quite a powerful theatrical and emotionally charged moment.
7. Provide at least three examples of images in Wedding Band. How does the title of the play help us understand the images in the play? (Remember Ball says that, “An image is the use of something we know that tells us something we don’t know.” He goes on to say that images invoke and expand, rather than define and limit.”)
The letter in the play that Julia read expanded on the values she holds, as she didn't charge her anything even after being insulted by her. The wedding band given to Julia in the play perhaps hints to Herman's impending doom, the fact that it hung around the neck and not on the finger was a image of the longing for matrimony but, never to achieve it. The image of Julia's house being the nicest one in the backyard, perhaps offers insight into her moral standing compared to the times she lived in. Her inner and outer beauty was reflected in the pretty, yet rugged exterior of the house. The title "Wedding Band" places a great deal of significance on the idea of marriage, and perhaps the use of band in place of ring is to make the actual sound resemble what they felt...Wedding BANd..they were banned from marriage, never to obtain it.
8. Ordinarily, there are many themes in most plays. List the themes in Wedding Band.
Wedding band deals with numerous themes, it deals with loneliness and isolation though the struggle of Julia to find friends when she is constantly moving, at one point she says " any kind-a people better than none a-tall". The theme of human rights is quite prevalent within Wedding Band , treatment of blacks and interracial couples during this time.
9. Most American plays have something to do with family and/or family relationships. What does family have to do with the dramatic action in Wedding Band? Perhaps you might argue for several different kinds of family in this particular play. What do you think?
Family is a very important part of this play, Herman's family is one of the main obstacles for Julia to overcome. Their disapproval of Julia, produces much conflict for the characters. Julia also discovers a sense of family through the small community found in the backyard, they tell each other secrets most people do not tell, and they do things for one another that is nice and often without benefit for one of the parties involved.